152 



NILOTIC POLYNEME. 



or more. It is an inhabitant of the river Nile, 

 where it is by no means uncommon, as far up the: 

 river as Syene and the first cataract : the w^hole 

 body is covered with scales of a brilliant silver- 

 colour, so as to resemble spangles lying close to- 

 gether ; and there is no variety of tinge on the 

 fish, except a shade of red on the end of the nose, 

 which is fat and fleshy : the eye is large and black, 

 with a broad yellowish-white iris : the teeth are 

 small, very sharp, and close-set : the first dorsal fin 

 has eight spiny rays, the first of which is very short : 

 the second dorsal fin has eleven soft or branched 

 rays : the pectoral and ventral fins are also furnished 

 with ray^ of a similar kind : the setaceous processes 

 are five in number on each side, gradually lengthen- 

 ing as they recede from the mouth y the last appear- 

 ing nearly to equal half the length of the body : 

 the tail is deeply and sharply forked, the upper 

 lobe extending somewhat beyond the lower. 



We are informed by Mr. Bruce that in order to 

 take this fish the Egyptian peasants prepare a 

 pretty large mass or cake, consisting of oil, clay, 

 flour, honey, and straw, kneading it with their feet 

 till it is well incorporated : they then take two 

 handfuls of dates, and break them into pieces about 

 the size of the point of a finger, and stick them in 

 different parts of the mass, into the heart of which 

 they put seven or eight hooks with dates upon 

 them, and a string of strong whipcord to each : 

 this mass of paste is then conveyed by the fisher- 

 man or shepherd into the stream, the man sitting 

 for this purpose on a blown-up goat-skin. When 



